


I like you whole (it's a fault, I know)

by kuro49



Category: White Collar
Genre: Episode Tag, M/M, for Hard Sell (S01E08), neal is neal, peter has grown obsessive
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-07
Updated: 2012-09-07
Packaged: 2017-11-13 17:58:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/506184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kuro49/pseuds/kuro49
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Neal has eyes like a fox, hands that are many things, and a mindset that can take him far far away. (Peter likes him regardless.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	I like you whole (it's a fault, I know)

Neal Caffrey is standing out on the streets, he doesn’t take public transit, but he loves the way the subway rumbles beneath his feet. He loves that he can feel it with the entity of his body, loves the way it runs through his bones, shaking as it goes.

There is a breeze that blows between the narrow gaps of New York’s high rise buildings, he presses the trilby lower down on his head so the black rim nearly hides that look in his eyes.

 

Peter pulls his car to a stop by the road, the light turns red, and that look in Neal’s sky-eyes brings him back in time.

 

There is a wild wind in the air that tastes of sea salt. They are both layered up against the chill, participating in a formal game of play pretend.

  _It’s a con_ , Neal says in earnest, eyes crinkling around the corner in glee.

  _It’s a job_ , Peter corrects, but he isn’t even trying to hide the small smile stretching itself out over his lips.

 But there is nothing fun, there is real anger in the way Nick Halden challenges Mr. Edison. While Peter has always matched Neal step for step, the pleasantries has fallen away when he hits him just too close to those exposed nerves.

 Neal takes the gun from his hands, eyes burning with an intent that nearly makes the character fall away from Peter’s tongue.

 And he wants to say that uneasy feeling loosens up the moment their hands brush but Neal looks away at that last second, warm hands wrapping around the cold long muzzle of the rifle instead, and nothing is undone.

 “Pull.”

 He turns his eyes on the target, arm level with the horizon, fingers deft as he pulls the trigger.

 The orange plate shatters in the sky.

 “Pull.”

 Another repeats the pattern in warning. His voice cool and collected. Like a hunter in the woods, bear traps snapping with a deafening howl through the trees. His hands don’t shake.

 There is a pause before Neal is looking down from the miles of skies, Peter from Neal’s stance. He lowers the rifle so the muzzle, still hot from the second shot, is pointed down at the ground.

 "Just because I don’t like guns doesn’t mean I can’t use one.”

 There is a flame burning in his eyes, a fire igniting in the depths of the blue and Peter can’t look away, heart caught in his throat in the face of Neal’s defiance.

 His silent _you may own me but I never belonged to you_.

 

There is a tapping, knuckles against glass.

 Peter snaps his head to the side and there is Neal Caffrey, looking down at him with a smile. Peter lowers the window with a small, barely there, grimace like he hasn’t been looking up on his location with the GPS tracker, like this is all just a coincidence he hasn’t meant to fall victim to.

 “Mornin’ Peter, fancy meeting you here.”

 He has a hand on the hood of the car, looking down at him through his lashes. His shoulders are relaxed, his smile easy and for a moment Peter thinks everything will be alright, the four years will come to a rolling stop without any hiccups, and Neal won’t run.

 “You’ve had breakfast yet?”

 “I was just about to.”

 But there’s always the other Peter that knows he’s been wishing on a burnt out star all this time. It’s in Neal’s nature to bolt, the stars can align themselves but that’s never going to change. And while Peter won’t ever understand all of the unknown, he still wants Neal whether it is through surveillance or a genuine wish to stay.

 “…Can I join you?”

“Only if you’ll have me.”

Neal’s eyes remind Peter of the universe.

XXX Kuro


End file.
